Desk with interchangeable panels



Oct. 1, 1963 M. A. JUNG 3,105,726

DESK WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PANELS Filed Aug. 11, 1961 INVENTOR. MEL MM/ /7. Jam; 29 y Ma, Mbwm ATTOQNEYS United States Patent 3,105,726 DESK WITH llITERQl-IANGEABLE PANELS Melvin A. Jung, Manitowoc, Win, assignor to invincible Metal Furniture Company, Manitowoe, Win, a corpo= ration of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 11, 1951, Ser. No. ljatwfl 3 Claims. (Cl. 3l2l95) This invention relates to a desk with an interchangeable panel.

The desk frame comprises legs cross-connected near their upper ends by a structural member having three longitudinal folds alternating in a direction to form alternating horizontal surfaces. The top horizontal flange of this zigzag folded member provides support for and connection with the desk \top. The bottom vertical flange has a horizontal surface immediately above it to provide an angle spaced below the desk top to receive the upper end of the removable panel. The horizontal surface forming this angle is slotted to receive tongues carried by the panel.

Below the panel the legs are. cross-connected by an ordinary angle on which the lower margin of the panel may be seated when the tongues at the top of the panel are engaged in the slots above referred to. One or more self-tapping screws or other fastening devices will then be passed through the bottom angle into the panel to secure the panel removably in place.

The structure is one in which the removability of the panel is not apparent to the observer. Yet the panel may be almost instantly removed with nothing but a screwdriver. If damaged, it may be replaced with a new panel or, if undamaged, it may be redecorated with paint or wallpaper and restored to the desk. Substitute panels may be used if a different decor is desired. For example, substitute panels may be made to represent rattan or may have a plastic coating. In any event, the removal and replacement can be eflected without in any way interfering with continued use of the desk.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a low angle perspective view fragmentarily illustrating a desk having panels embodying the invention, a back panel being fragmentarily illustrated in place in the desk and an end panel being illustrated in a position in which it is free of the desk, as during removal or insertion.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail view taken in vertical section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

The desk selected as an exemplification of the invention happens to be an embodiment of a structure disclosed in a copending application Serial No. 88,756, filed February 13, 1961, but the present invention is not limited to use in a desk of the type disclosed in the said copending application. As shown, the legs -5 and 6 are much shorter than required for the support of desk top 7, being provided with extensions 8 which are readily appli cable to and removable from the permanent legs 5 and 6 either for the purpose of varying the height of the desk or changing its decor, or for any other reason.

The desk legs 5 and 6 are a permanent part of the desk frame and are typical of other legs used elsewhere in the fragmentarily illustrated desk. In assembling a. desk frame, the several legs are connected by mounting between them at a level immediately below the top 7 the zigzag folded structural member generically designated by reference character It A horizontal top flange 11 in the member 10 supports and is connected with desk top 7. Immediately below this is a vertical strip 12 defined by opposite angle folds at 13 and '14. Such portion of the structural member Ill and the contiguous horizontal portion 15 thereof simulates a piece of molding. Beneath the told 16 at the rear or inner margin of the horizontal strip 15' of structural member 10, there is a vertical flange 17. The angle between the strips 15 and 17 receives the removable panel 20 which fits between the adjacent legs to which the ends of structural member ltl are welded or otherwise permanently fastened. The panel 20 may be pan-shaped, having inturned marginal flanges such as those shown at 21, 22 and 23 to give the panel margins substantial depth.

=Formed integrally with the panel 20 are tongues 24 spaced along the top of the panel. The horizontal strip 15 of structural member 10 has slots at 25 to receive the tongues 24 as shown in FIG. 2. It will be observed that the tonguesv are desirably somewhat curved outwardly of the face of the panel Zll to facilitate introducing them in theslots and to make their anchorage therein more secure when the panel is mounted.

When the operator inserts the tongues 24 in slot 25, the engagement of the tongues in the slots provides a hinged connection upon which the lower margin of the panel can swing inwardly into engagement with a seat provided by the angle structural member 28 which connects the legs adjacent the lower margin of the panel. The horizontal flange 29 of the angle 28 is preferably no deeper than the depth of the panel as defined by its marginal flange 22. Thus the angle is-either not visible at all or at most is visible only as represented by the thickness of its flange 2 9.

The panel tends to hold the position in which it has been set into the desk. Hence there is little required to lock it in that position. In practice, one or more selftapping screws 3% are inserted through registering openings provided at 31 in flange 2-9 of angle 28 and flange 22 of panel 20*.

Since the desk frame is completely independent of the panels and the panels are not dependent in any way upon the desk top, it will be apparent that the panels can all be removed and decorated or replaced with the same or with substitute panels during continuous use of the desk top.

It will be observed that when the desk is set up there is nothing visible which betrays the fact that one or more of the panels is interchangeable. The slots 25 are on the under surface of the horizontal portion 15 of struc tural member 10 and hence are invisible to the ordinary observer. The tongues 24- of the panel are entirely received within the slots when the panel is in place and hence are invisible. The openings for the screw or screws used to secure the panel in position are concealed by the panel itself.

It will be observed that when the panel rests upon the seat provided by structural member 28 beneath the panel, it is not possible to withdraw tongues 24- from the slots 25 of the upper structural member 10. Only by releasing the screws or other fastening means to swing the lower margin of the panel outwardly is it possible to withdraw tongues 24 from slots 25.

Conversely, when the tongues 24 are engaged in the slots and the panel is swung to its posit-ion of use with its lower margin seated on structural member 28-, the spacing of the slots 25 from the vertical flange 17 of the upper structural member 10 provides such a close fit for the top margin of the panel that the panel is locked against any movement whatever inwardly or outwardly respecting the upper structural member, thus precluding any rattle.

I claim:

1. In a desk having at least one removable panel, the

combination of desk legs including a pair of laterally spaced legs, a removable panel between said laterally spaced legs, said panel having top and bottom margins Fatented Dot. 1, 1963 of substantial depth, a structural member connecting the legs near their tops and providing an angle in which the upper margin of the panel is seated, the structural member including an apertured generally horizontal sur-. face, a contiguous generally upright surface and means defining a space above said horizontal surface, the panel having tongues engaged in the apertures of the horizontal surface and extending into said space, said panel being pivotally movable on said tongues and having its upper margin abutting the said upright surface, a second structural member connecting the legs at a lower level beneath the panel and comprising an angle providing a seat in which the lower margin of the panel is engaged and means connecting the lower margin of the panel and said second structural member against pivotal outward movement of the lower, margin of the panel with respect to the legs of the desk, the engagement of the lower margin of the panel on the seat provided by the second structural member holding the panel in a position in which its tongues are securely engaged with the first mentioned structural member.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the tongues have terminal portions which project outwardly beyond the front of the panel.

3. A paneled desk or the like having at least one removable panel and comprising the combination of a desk top and a frame including legs and upper and lower structural members cross connecting the legs, a removab le panel having upper and lower margins and tongues extending upwardly from said upper margin, said upper structural member having zig-zag folds extending longitudinally thereof and providing a first horizontal flange fastened to the undersurface of the desk top, a second horizontal flange having panel tongue receiving openings,

at first vertical flange spacing the second horizontal flange away from the desk top to leave space above the second horizontal flange to receive said tongues, a second vertical flange providing a seat for the upper margin of the panel, said lower structural member having a seat for the lower margin of the panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Meyereord Aug. 13, 192 9 

3. A PANELED DESK OR THE LIKE HAVING AT LEAST ONE REMOVABLE PANEL AND COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A DESK TOP AND A FRAME INCLUDING LEGS AND UPPER AND LOWER STRUCTURAL MEMBERS ACROSS CONNECTING THE LEGS, A REMOVABLE PANEL HAVING UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS AND TONGUES EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID UPPER MARGIN, SAID UPPER STRUCTURAL MEMBER HAVING ZIG-ZAG FOLDS EXTENDING LONGITUDNALLY THEREOF AND PROVIDING A FIRST HPRIZONTAL FLANGE FASTENED TO THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE DESK TOP, A SECOND HORIZONTAL FLANGE HAVING PANEL TONGUE RECEIVING OPENINGS, A FIRST VERTICAL FLANGE SPACING THE SECOND HORIZONTAL FLANGE AWAY FROM THE DESK TOP TO LEAVE SPACE ABOVE THE SECOND HORIZONTAL FLANGE TO RECEIVE SAID TINGUES, A SECOND VERTICAL FLANGE PROVIDING A SEAT FOR THE UPPER MARGIN OF THE PANEL, SAID LOWER STRUCTURAL MEMBER HAVING A SEAT FOR THE LOWER MARGIN OF THE PANEL. 